Walkers&#39; aids



July 15, 1958 K. scHwARTz 1 WALKERS AIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March ll, 1954 INVENTOR Wma/M www,

ATTORN EYS July 15, 195s .K. SCHWARTZ 2,843,180

\ wALKERs AIDS Filed March 11, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2 lNVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent WALKERS AIDS Kenneth Schwartz, Madison, Wis.. Application March 11, 1954, Serial No. 415,563

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-22) This invention is directed to improvements in walkers aids especially designed for use by persons having serrously advanced problems brought about through muscular dystrophy.

One object of this invention is to provide a threewheeled walkers aid which will be light, strong and easily controlled, and in which rear traction wheels may be independently braked by the person using the aid, to prevent any undesired movement of the aid.

A further object is to provide a walkers aid in which the rear traction wheels may be folded against the frame, means being provided whereby the wheels may be maintained in parallelism with the frame whether the wheels are in their folded or unfolded position.

A further object is to provide a transverse handle bar comprising two foldable members so that when the rear traction wheels and the handle bar members are folded, the walkers aid will be very compact and convenient for transportation.

A practical embodiment of this invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l represents a front view of the aid;

Fig. 2 represents a side view of the aid;

Fig. 3 represents a detail plan view on an enlarged scale, of the connection of the handle bar members with the frame;

Fig. 4 represents a front View, on an enlarged scale, of the handle bar;

Fig. 5 represents a side view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the handle bar members, and

Fig. 6 represents a detail section on an enlarged scale showing the brake at one of the rear wheels.

The frame of the walkers aid is shown as comprising front and rear portions 1 and 2 diverging downwardly from their united Lipper ends, said front and rear portions being connected by a brace portion 3. These frame portions are all located in the same longitudinal vertical plane.

The front traction wheel 1 Z is swivelled to the lower end of the front frame portion 1.

.The handle bar is shown herein as comprising two members 4 and 5 projecting laterally and rearwardly from the top of the frame; said members having overlapping clutch elements 6 and 7 pivoted on a pin 3 projecting forwardly from one part 9 of a bracket clamped by the other part 10 and the screws 11 to the upper end of the rear frame portion 2. The contact surfaces of the clutch elements 6 and 7 are provided with interlocking annular series of radially disposed teeth 12 and 13. The contacting surfaces of the bracket part 9 and the clutch element 7 are also provided with interlocking annular series of radial teeth 14 and 1S.

The handle bar members 4 and 5 are clamped in either their folded, unfolded or intermediate position by providing a clamp nut 16 threaded on the pivot pin 8. These handle bar members are thus independently adjustable to any position between their folded and unfolded positions. The outer ends of the handle bar members 2,843,l85 Patented July 15, 1958 are directed rearwardly and are shown as being provided with hand grips 17 and 18.

The pair of rear traction wheels are denoted by 19 and 20 and they are shown herein as foldably connected to the bracket 2-1 fast on the lower end of the rear frame portion 2 on both sides of the frame.

The axially alined laterally directed axles 22 and 23, on which the rear traction wheels 19A and 20 are rotatably mounted in planes parallel to the side frame, are shown as connected to the outer ends of two pairs of parallel rods 24, 25 and 26, 27, the inner ends of the said rods being hingedly connected at diierent points to the said bracket 21. Releasable pins 28 and 29 serve to lock the rear wheels in parallelism with the frame when in their unfolded or folded position.

It will be noted that the axles of these. rear wheels are shown as located to the rear of the hinged connection of the handle bar members to the frame for stabilizing the aid when in use.

Each of the devices for braking the rear wheels independently of each other is shown as comprising the following elements: A two-member bracket 32, 33 is clamped to the rear wheel axle. A rock-lever 34 is pivoted at 35 to the upper member of the bracket. A brake shoe 36 has its shank 37 slidably adjustable in a stud 39 carried on the upper bracket member. A screw 38 serves to secure the brake shoe in its properly adjusted position.

The brake shoe 36 is operated from one of the handle bar members by means of a rock-lever 40 pivoted at 41 to the bracket 42, 43, which is clamped around the handle bar member by the screws 44 adjacent the hand grip. A flexible tube 45 connects the lower bracket member 43 at the handle bar with the upper bracket member 32 at the rear wheel axle. A flexible connection, as a wire 46, leads from the stud 47 on the rock lever 34 upwards through the flexible tube 45 to the end piece 48 pivoted to the hand lever 40;

It will be seen that the walkers aid, constructed substantially as herein shown and described,I permits the person using the aid to have full control of its movement, either forward or backward or in turning. It will furthermore be seen that the aid, with its large traction wheels, may be easily propelled on lawns as well as on floors and other ilat surfaces. It will also be seen that the handle bar members may be readily adjusted to suit different persons.

lt is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

l. ln a three-wheeled walkers aid, a vertical frame comprising, downwardly diverging front and rear portions and a brace connecting them, a transverse handle bar having two interconnected foldable members pivoted to said frame, means for locking the two members together and to the frame in diierent adjustments, a front wheel swivelled to the frame to turn independently of the handle bar, two foldable rear wheels connected to the frame on both sides thereof, and means for maintaining the rear wheels in parallelism with the frame in both their folded and unfolded positions.

2. The structure as set forth in claim l, in which brakes rice ai; are provided :for both of said rear wheels and, means are provided on the handle bar members for separately operating said brakes.

3. In a three-wheeled walkers aid, a vertical frame comprising downwardly diverging front and rear portions and a brace connecting them, a transverse handle bar having two interconnected foldable members pivoted to the upper end of the rear portion of the frame, means for locking the two members together and to the said rear portion of the frame in dilferent adjustments, a front wheel swivelled to the lower end of the front portion of the frame, to turn independently of the handle bar, two foldable rear wheels connected to the said rear portion of the frame 0n both sides thereof, and means for maintaining the rear wheels in parallelism with the frame in both their folded and unfolded positions.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 3, in which brakes are provided for both of said rear wheels and means are provided on the handle bar members for separately operating said brakes.

D. 163,065 Powell Apr. 24, 1951 

